[2000-08-03-WWF-Smackdown] HHH & Kurt Angle & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley vs D-Von & Bubba Ray Dudley & Lita

[soup23]

The HHH/Steph/Angle stuff continues to be excellent and we get a series of vignettes from Steph arriving needing space, to Angle saying he is there for her as a friend. We then see HHH/Steph meeting with Foley and we learn that Kurt and Steph are more than friends…they are tag partners. Shane gives a rally talk saying that HHH/Kurt need to be on the same page for the sake of Steph’s health. I do think HHH’s acting is strong here as we get little character beats like Steph blitzing past him in their entrance and his budding frustration. This was another good match and overall this was a strong SmackDown. This was given enough time and I still appreciate how much of a threat they are making Lita out to be lately. The teases of Steph going through a table were well done and required a lot of moving parts that had to work in order to be logical. HHH gives Lita a pedigree which knocks her out but then D-Von starts brawling with HHH. Angle makes the save for Steph against Bubba and Steph gets the pin on Lita. The camera angle of Steph/Angle hugging and celebrating on the tron as an angered HHH looks on was awesome. *** (6.2)

[GSR]

Triple H is at the back of the arena waiting for Stephanie to arrive.  A limo pulls up and out she gets, however she’s in no mood for talking telling him that she needs some space.  He tries following her, but again she reiterates that she needs space.  As Stephanie makes her way through the building she’s met by Kurt Angle (to a big pop from the crowd watching in the arena).  He’s very sorry over everything that’s happened and says that if she ever wants someone to talk to, about anything, he’s a really good listener, while if she ever needs anything, as a friend, he’ll always be here for her.  Steph asks him if he knows where Trish Stratus is and, after letting her know she’s in the dressing room, she heads off in that direction.

Hunter is eating a fruit platter in their dressing room when Steph enters and tells him that they don’t have to worry about Trish Stratus any more.  When he questions “Why?” she responds “never mind”.   Triple H is still wanting to have a talk with her to try and smooth things over when there’s a knock at the door.  Its general dog’s body Harvey Whippleman and he has a message from Commissioner Foley who wants to see them both in his office right away.

It’s hardly the most traditional of offices that the Commissioner inhabits.  He fines Stephanie for walking out on her match on Raw and says that if she does it again he’ll strip her...of her WWF Women’s championship.  Kurt Angle arrives, as his presence has also been requested by the Commissioner, although Triple H gets all possessive and jealous on his arrival not buying that they’re just friends (“friends my ass!”) .  Foley has got that wooden spoon out again claiming that he knows Kurt and Steph are more than just good friends...they’re tag team partners tonight along with HHH in a six-person no DQ match against the Dudley Boyz and Lita.

With this being a ‘no DQ’ match, Triple H  has got a plan which he intends to talk over with Stephanie while she’s getting changed, however she doesn’t feel comfortable changing around him at the moment and sends him off to another room.

As HHH is preparing himself and having his arm strapped up, Shane McMahon pops in to see him and have a few words.  He tells him that bad things can happen out there, look at Kane, and he needs Kurt Angle and the two of them need to work together on this.  Hunter doesn’t seem to think so, but after some more convincing words he then brings Kurt in to join them.  Shane informs them that they better get their act together as Stephanie’s safety is paramount and if she ends up going through a table there will be hell to pay.

There’s clearly still dissension between Stephanie and Triple H as they make their entrance together, while Steph’s face has a look of terror on it when, fearing the worst, she sees the Dudley’s head down the aisle.  Bubba already seems to have his eyes set on Stephanie and when he goes over to say something to her on the apron he’s attacked from behind by HHH.  He whips him into the corner but then runs into a big boot, and Bubba with a flying clothesline off the middle.  Neckbreaker by ‘the Game’, before tagging in Angle and instructing him to take it to the Dudley’s.  Kurt gets caught with a powerslam and isn’t fairing too well until reversing an Irish whip and flattening D-Von with a back elbow.  Steph was impressed by that, almost like she wasn’t expecting it out of him.  Tag to HHH and again they’re exchanging words as they do so.  D-Von blocks a right and floors Triple H with one of his own.  ‘The Game’ staggers into the opposite corner where he gets nailed first by Bubba and then by Lita for her first involvement in this.  The Dudley’s continues to take it to him, however he manages to reverse an Irish whip and Kurt kicks Bubba in the back as he hits the ropes.  That has no effect as Bubba just turns around and decks him, although the distraction is enough that it allows HHH to level him with clothesline.  Triple H stomps away on Bubba as Earl Hebner tries to drag him off, confusing ‘The King’ on commentary who reminds us that this is ‘no disqualification’ and Hebner really shouldn’t be getting involved like that.  Angle carries on putting the boots to Bubba before launching him overhead with a belly to belly suplex.  HHH wants back in, however Kurt tags Stephanie instead.  She seems a bit surprised but he tells her to just kick Bubba in the ribs, which she does, although after one kick Triple H slaps her on the shoulder, literally tagging himself in.  Good stuff from Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler with Cole claiming that HHH clearly doesn’t have confidence in his wife, while Lawler puts a different spin on it saying how ‘the Game’ doesn’t appreciate Kurt Angle putting his wife at risk.  Bubba makes the hot tag and D-Von is all over Angle and Triple H.  Reverse DDT slam and Kurt is there to break up the cover.  That brings Bubba back in and a clubbing right sends Angle sprawling.  ‘Wassup’ on HHH and then another for Kurt.  The Dudley’s collect a table from under the ring and set it up inside.  ‘The Game’ and Angle are both still laid out while Stephanie is complaining to Earl about something.  She catches their eye and the moment the Dudleys turn their heads away from their opponents and to her, you should hear the reaction from the crowd.  Bubba’s eyes are bulging, however just at the moment they grab hold of her, back to their feet are Angle and Triple H to save her from that table, at least for the moment.  The four of them fight out onto the floor leaving the ring free for the women.  Lita with a suplex on Steph, she then heads upstairs for the moonsault but HHH pulls his wife out the way.  Pedigree on Lita and he puts Steph on top.  D-Von drags Hunter to the outside and Hebner is dealing with them as opposed to counting the potential fall.  Bubba’s back, all alone and that table still in position.  He picks up Steph’s limp body and is about to powerbomb her through the table when Angle makes the save just in the nick of time.  He takes care of Bubba as D-Von and Triple H fight it out near the entrance on the ramp way.  Steph re-covers Lita and with her still KO’d cold from the Pedigree, the Women’s champions gets the three for her team.  She and Kurt enthusiastically celebrate the win, hugging each other and Steph wrapping her legs around him while a livid Triple H watches on from the ramp way.  Shit’s going down on Raw!

This was fantastic!  Right the way from the vignettes setting the match up, the dressing room skits, the match itself with those teases of putting Stephanie through a table (if/when that happens the roof is likely to come off the arena!) and then the closing celebration as a jealous and pissed Triple H watches on.  Roll on Monday!